Coffin-lid fastener



(No Model.)

J. RIOHEY.

v GOFFIN LID PASTENER.

No. 463,690. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

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| ER! cm, memo-um UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES RICI'IEY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

COFFlN-LID FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,690, dated November 24, 1891.

Application filed June 30, 1891. Serial No. 398,021. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES RICHEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffin-Lid Fasteners; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention,reference being had to the annexed drawings, which to form a part of this specification.

My invention comprises a special form of concealed fasteners to be applied exclusively to those coffins which are widest at the shoulders and narrowed toward the head and foot.

I 5 These fasteners are applied in part to the inner sides of the coffin between the shoulders and foot and in part to the under side of the lid between the shoulders and foot. By this arrangement the simple act of placing the lid on the COffill and then sliding the former toward the footof the latter causes these fasteners to engage with each other and thereby secure the lid in place. Furthermore, the construction and arrangement of these fasteners 2 5 are such as to cause this sliding motion of the lid to draw it closer and closer to the coffin, and thus afiord a very tight fit, as hereinafter more fully described.

On the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan 0 of a coffin body, case, or casket provided with my improved fasteners, the lid thereof being detached. Fig. 2 is a plan of the under side of said detached lid. Fig. 3 is avertical section of the upper portion of the coffin, the

5 lid being locked to the body. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged sections of the various fasteners.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents an ordinary coftin which is widest at the shoulders and narrowed toward the head and foot in the usual manner.

B is a groove or recess made in the inner side of the body near the foot of the same, andC is a similar recess near the shoulder 5 portion of the coffin, which recesses or grooves are duplicated on the opposite inner side thereof, as seen at B and C. b c and b c are cap-plates secured over these respective grooves, the foot ends of said plates being somewhat thicker than their head ends, as seen in Fig. 3, and more clearly represented in Fig. 4.

D D are short grooves in the edge ofthe body near its head, and d d are stop-plates at the ends of said grooves.

E is an undercut groove, bead, or molding at the head of the body.

F is the lid, slightly wider and longer than the body and usually built up of a number of sections, the under side of said lid having plates G H and G H secured thereto. These plates may project beyond the general level of the lid, or they may be let into the latter, so as to be flush therewith; but in either event said plates must carry hook-shaped lugs g h g h. Furthermore, these lugs must project outwardly or away from the center line of the body, so as to engage with the appropriate grooves of the latter, as seen in Fig. 5.

I and J are longitudinal grooves near the head end of the lid, and 1. j are lateral branches of the same, plate-springs K L being fitted within said grooves, and the free ends of said springs being bent down and out at k Z to form thumb-pieces or lifters. (See Fig. 7.)

k and Z are short stops projecting from the under sides of these springs. I M is a block or plate secured to the extreme head end of lid F and adapted at the proper moment to engage with the undercut groove E of the body.

To close a coffin provided with my fasteners the lid F is placed upon the body A, and is so advanced toward the foot of the latter as to cause the hook-lugs g h g h to enter the head ends of the respective grooves B C B C. Consequently as the lid is advanced these lugs traverse said grooves and gradually draw said lid tightly down upon the body on account of the inclined bearings afforded by 0 the under or effective surfaces of the capplates 1) c b c. As soon as the lugs have about reached the position seen in Fig. 3 the block M enters the groove E and arrests the further advance of the lid, and at the same moment the springs K L open downwardly, thereby causing their stops 70' Z to engage behind the respective stop-plates d d, this engagement of the springstop is with its plate (1 being seen in Fig. 6. These simple 10o movements automatically lock the lid to the body, the lugs g h g h and block or catch M coacting to prevent detachment of said cover F, while at the same time the bearing of stops 70 Z against the plates (Z (Z renders it impossible for the lid to be shifted toward the head of the coffin. It will thus be seen that the lid issecurely locked against vertical and longitudinal movement and by concealed fasteners, the only devices visible being the small thumb-pieces 7; Z, andas they-are located under the projecting margin of said lid, as represented in Fig. 7, it is almost impossible to discover them; but when the lid is to be removed .these thumb-pieces are pressed up until the stops 70 Z are clear of the plates (1 d, and then said lid is drawn back as far as may be necessary to disengage the lugs 9 7L g h from the grooves 13 O B C. The lid is then lifted bodily from off the case A.

From the above description it is evident the lid is fastened to the case and unlocked therefrom without employing a screw-driver or other implement, thereby lessening the labor of the undertakers and preventing any disagreeable noise at a funeral.

I claim as my invention- The cofiin-body A, widest at the shoulders and converging toward each end, and having a pair of opposing slots B B in its sides near the foot and another pair of opposing slots 0 G in its sides between the foot and shoulders, which slots are covered with cap-plates b I) c c, secured to the upper edges of said sides and having their under surfaces inclined toward the foot, as shown, in combination with the detachable lid F, of the same converging shape as said body, which lid has a pair of outward]y-projecting lugs g g, secured to its under side near the foot, and another pair of similar lugs h 71 attached to it near the shoulders, the arrangement of these fasteners being such that when this lid is placed upon the coffin and shifted toward the foot of the same the lugs g gh h will enter the respective slots B B G C and wedge against the inclined under surfaces of their cap-plates b b c c, all as herein described and illustrated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES RICIIEY. \Vitnesses:

J AMES H. LAYMAN, SAMUEL M. QUINN. 

